


Bleeding Hearts

by cottonmouthcandy



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Alternate Universe - Underswap, Gen, Underfell Papyrus, Underfell Sans, Underswap Papyrus, Underswap Sans, does contain underfell after all, gender neutral frisk, may contain some swearing, not nsfw as of now, some violence, tough lil blueberry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-23 21:45:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6131139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cottonmouthcandy/pseuds/cottonmouthcandy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Underfell Papyrus knows how to win the battle, but Underswap Sans can win the war.</p><p>i.e., Underfell Papyrus comes to collect his brother and somebody has something to say about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Collide

**Author's Note:**

> I managed to recover all files, and add Chapter 3! Sorry for the brief insanity of the work being deleted guys :(

 

Papyrus was on the hunt.

He landed in the snow with a definitive crunch, already sizing up this strange new universe. His surroundings weren't unfamiliar, he noticed right away. This was a main road- one of the ones just outside Snowdin. It was quiet here, birds whistling merrily in the treetops. Papyrus would've curled his lip in disgust if he'd had one: of course his brother was here. Slacking off, more likely than not. Hadn't he learned his lesson yet?

Well. Papyrus would just have to teach him again.

Papyrus started to stride down the path confidently, a scowl marring his face as he marched in the direction of his Sans.

He stalked down the path, ice cracking underneath the weight of his heavy footsteps. This world was too bright, too clean; the sound of the ice breaking was music to his ears. Each snapping noise was reminiscent of a bone breaking, and an awful smile began to creep onto his face. It was like a prediction of the future, the sound of bones breaking. If he had it his way, bones would break with the accompaniment of a chorus of screams.

So, his brother thought he'd escaped? A low chuckle rasped in Papyrus's rib cage, his grin widening. Sans tried to escape a lot. He tumbled through universe after universe, determined to get away. Sometimes he even dared to linger in a timeline, although never for more than a week. It never worked for very long; Papyrus had memorized his brother's signature ages ago, and was an expert at tracking him down. No matter where Sans fled, Papyrus would catch him in the end. 

Papyrus was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost didn't see the monster walking towards him. 

When he did see them, they'd stopped in the center of the path, maybe twenty feet away from him. He came to a halt, narrowing his eyes at the other monster.

The idiot before him was the most ridiculous creature he'd ever seen: a short mockery of a warrior in a grey breastplate with a turquoise bandanna tied around his neck. It was a Sans, but not his Sans. The not-Sans's eyes shined eagerly as he waved at Papyrus. 

"Greetings!" the absurd skeleton called, bandanna bobbing in time with the enthusiastic thrumming of his body. Papyrus almost laughed. Stupid. Only fools stood willingly in his way, smiling obliviously. A slow grin curled up his face, baring pointed fangs at the small idiot. Surprisingly, the preposterous creature didn't flinch at  his smile or his teeth, only beaming up at him trustingly.

"I'm Sans! Well, the Sans from this world," the smaller skeleton introduced itself, making a grand sweeping gesture. It leveled a smile at him, its brow-bone arching.

"Your armor is really cool! I'm guessing you're Papyrus? Captain of the Royal Guard Papyrus?" the other warrior wondered, and Papyrus's eyes narrowed further. It seemed his brother had already told this Sans about him. So why wasn't this idiot running in terror? 

The Sans, seeming to sense that he wasn't about to get a response, skimmed his gaze over Papyrus. Taking in Papyrus's dark clothing, blood red scarf, and ominous scowl, the skeleton tilted his head to one side. "Why are you here?" he asked after a moment. 

Papyrus didn't feel like indulging in idiocy today. A sickeningly sweet smile stretched across his skull, his eyes lighting with dark crimson as he silently activated his magic. He drew himself up, power rushing through his bones as he pointed a single finger at the other skeleton. 

"To kill you." he snarled, and the bones materialized in a flash. Red femurs slammed into the empty ground where the other Sans had been. The unfamiliar Sans reappeared a few feet away, his smile just as wide as it was before.

"...just to kill me?" he asked inquisitively, spreading his hands. "The Mighty Sans?" 

"Mighty," Papyrus scoffed back as he stepped forward dangerously.

"Small and mighty," Sans reaffirmed, his eyes still bright. Despite the churned-up ground just a few paces before him and the close brush with death, this skeleton seemed unfazed in a way that Papyrus's own brother had never been. 

"...you didn't come here just to fight me." Sans commented after a moment, bouncing back and forth on the heels on his feet.

"..Did you?" his gaze was locked on Papyrus, unblinking despite the easy-going expression on his face.

"My brother is here," Papyrus growled, advancing a step. The small idiot didn't move. Papyrus took another, parting his jaws slightly to expose the full sight of his fangs. Sans didn't blink an eye. There wasn't a scrap of fear in the other's eyes, not a tremble in his bones. Papyrus didn't understand how such a ridiculous, absurd creature could stand there and stare a Captain of the Royal Guard down. It made no sense.

No matter. Bravery was the equivalent of stupidity in the face of an opponent much larger and stronger than yourself. Anyone with half a brain knew it.  If this runt didn't know, then Papyrus was going to teach him right now. 

He conjured up the next set of bones, his grin threatening to split his face as he launched them at the Sans. This wave had the smaller Sans vanishing and then materializing a couple more feet away, unharmed. The fool's infuriating smile remained, head tipping to one side as he regarded Papyrus eerily.

"Why are you here?" the Sans asked him again, and he let out a growl, throwing a barrage of strikes at the warrior.

"Didn't I just tell you? My brother is here." he spat.

Blue eyes seemed to burn through him as the Sans almost casually sidestepped his attacks, never breaking his gaze.

"He's  _ been _  here." the Sans replied, "So..." he crossed his arms as he landed in a safe zone, staring Papyrus in the eye unflinchingly, "Why are you here  _ now _ ?" 

Papyrus had no response but to attack again. The Sans simply stepped aside rather than teleporting this time, not even blinking at the sound of bones thudding and snapping as they hit the ground.

"It was just a question. I figured you'd have an answer." Sans said plainly.

"Stop this nonsense," Papyrus rumbled warningly, clenching his teeth. Red bones began to erupt from the ground all around them, and Papyrus took advantage of the other skeleton's momentary distraction to launch himself at the Sans. Femurs crashed into existence, ramming through the air in time with his punch as he lunged for the other Sans- and met empty air. He whirled instantly, finding the blue fool a few feet away, and struck again. Sans jumped out of the way of this one, darting to one side and then leaping over a bone that had just burst from the ground.

"Stop running, you coward, and fight me!" Papyrus roared as he gave chase, bones sprouting out of the ground instantly to wall them both in. Skidding to a stop, the idiot turned to face Papyrus, expression drawn and tight but determined. The Sans ducked under Papyrus's first blow, fell backwards from the second, and rolled out of the way of the accompanying kick. Back on his feet in a flash, he yelped as Papyrus yanked him up by his bandanna, preparing to slam him into the ground.

The Sans vanished before he hit the ground, reappearing a meter away. Papyrus snapped his head around, eyes glowing. The small skeleton's eyes widened, and his bright soul was dragged out of his chest, blue magic enveloping it. Hitting his knees from the sheer force of pressure put on him, the Sans struggled to stay upright. Papyrus let a rusty chuckle vibrate in his rib cage, feeling his grin reappear. 

Slowly, victoriously, he took threatening steps towards the Sans. Briefly panic flashed through the skeleton's bright blue eyes, the smaller monster instinctively starting to lean away, and he barely resisted the urge to throw his head back and laugh.  _ That _  was a look he recognized.

"Not so mighty now, are you?" Papyrus sneered as he stalked up to the Sans, forming claws around his hands with magic. He was going to slash this skeleton open and watch him bleed to dust. Nothing was quite as satisfying as hearing the howls and screams, or watching the struggles slow and cease. Shudders of pleasure ran down Papyrus's spine, just imagining the way this monster would die: drop by drop of dust, tears, cowering and trembling and begging for death.

He grinned down at the little wannabe-warrior, raising his clawed hands. 

The other skeleton's eyes lit with magic abruptly, and Papyrus's hold on the soul suddenly slipped as the white spade dissolved out of his grasp. Sans disappeared, coming back into view a good distance from Papyrus. The little fool was back on his feet, brow-bone lowered. His smile hadn't returned, but his eyes were alight with power. Papyrus clenched his fists, raising himself to his full height.

"Not going to run?" Papyrus taunted, teeth showing as he chuckled darkly. 

"No. I'm not." Sans answered, his voice abruptly flat. His eyes flared turquoise, and he threw his arms up. Papyrus tensed up, ready to deflect any bones thrown his way. Instead of bones, orbs of energy materialized, floating a good ten feet or so in the air. The balls of turquoise light hovered above the Sans's head harmlessly as the skeleton dropped his hands back to his sides.

"I'm not going to run," the Sans repeated, staring at Papyrus. 

The orbs stayed suspended midair, doing nothing. Their light was irritating to his eyes, and there had to be at least twenty little glowing balls of energy, but it didn't mean he couldn't see the Sans anymore. A useless defense tactic, in short. 

A smirk rose to Papyrus's face. "You should." he said, and summoned his bones back up. 

His opponent gritted his teeth, and shook his head. "I won't." he muttered, curling his blue-gloved hands into fists.

"Good." Papyrus laughed, and attacked. Femurs flew towards the small skeleton, and the Sans braced himself. Papyrus was a half-step behind his attack, clawed hands ready to shred the monster.

At the last second, the Sans sprang backwards. Lithe as a cat, he twisted out of Papyrus's path, barely sidestepping a stray femur. Papyrus whirled, activating his blue magic again. The Sans gasped as the cold color enveloped his soul for a second time, sending him crashing back down to the ground. Immediately he was writhing to get free, and Papyrus lunged. His claws slashed over the other skeleton's face, and the Sans cried out. When Papyrus glanced down at his claws, they were coated in dust. He grinned.

With a shove of his magic, Papyrus sent the fool flying into a nearby tree trunk. A satisfying thud; then silence. 

Crumpled at the bottom of the tree, Sans didn't move at first. Papyrus was wondering f he'd accidentally overestimated the skeleton's stats, when the Sans stirred. Rolling back onto his knees, Sans looked up at Papyrus. His eyes were still glowing, although the light was significantly darker than before. Dust was dripping down the smaller monster's face from the thick lines that Papyrus had left, but the little idiot was still gritting his teeth in a defiant way.

"If you're not going to fight, why bother getting up?" Papyrus crooned sickly to the Sans as he casually began to stroll over to the kneeling skeleton, "The weak will always fall. And you...well. I've yet to meet a strong Sans." his words made the Sans narrow his eyes, the glow strengthening temporarily before dying back down. The light of the orbs cast long, dark shadows as Papyrus approached the stupid creature. 

"My brother would've given up long before now," Papyrus commented as he reached for the skeleton.

Sans jerked back, managing to stumble to his feet and back away from Papyrus's talons. The action amused the taller skeleton, who proceeded to lift the monster with his blue magic. The Sans briefly twisted in his grip, but swiftly ran out of energy, going limp. It was like watching a kitten in a stranglehold, kicking and biting weakly before giving up and running out of breath. 

"Guess no version of my brother could ever hope to be anything." He remarked coldly, giving the blue fool a shake. Sans's eyes snapped open at his words, and the smaller skeleton's face abruptly twisted. Magic popped, and the world spun. Papyrus hit the ground hard, a few feet away from where he'd started. His soul ached as he fought the blue magic enveloping him, registering that his own blue magic had deactivated, letting the Sans free. 

The small skeleton was standing again, surrounded by the blue orbs of energy. The orbs had increased in size from roughly the size of basketballs to being about three feet across each. Their light was much brighter now, and Sans could hardly stay upright. His labored breathing wasn't hard to hear from here, in the eerie silence of the forest. Shadows danced over dust-stained snow, deep and monstrous in the vivid light cast by the orbs.

"P-please leave now," the blue-eyed skeleton said, his voice quiet. The orbs flickered around him. 

Papyrus stared at the fool for a long moment. Then he laughed. Laughed as he rose back up to his full height, laughed as he shed the blue magic like unwanted skin, laughed as he summoned up his femurs once again. Chuckles were still escaping him as he threw volley after volley of bones at the other monster, pleased to see Sans endeavoring to dodge each attack with no small effort. His attacks kept coming, the skeleton kept dodging, and the cycle went on and on for what felt like forever.

The other monster was tiring rapidly; it seemed the orbs were siphoning his energy, and each dodge was a little slower and a little closer to getting impaled. Papyrus was going to win, it was clear.

Until Papyrus made the mistake of stepping forward. The path beneath his foot sank down with a click, a tile activating. He froze as something whirred loudly, and the world shook. The entire battlefield shifted as squares began to light up in varying colors. Papyrus struggled to keep his balance as the ground underneath his feet lurched and bucked, electricity roaring and crackling sharply. Blue bones shot up all around, creating enormous walls around him. They clicked into place with one another, sliding into position to form an enormous trap. 

Once the earth had finished shifting, Papyrus found himself in an immense maze. Crafted from blue bones and thrumming lines of electricity, accented by knife blades and weapons hanging over his head, the maze looked to be something of nightmares.

He was in the center of the maze, hemmed in by bright sapphire femurs. On the other side of the maze, his opponent stood on shaky legs.

Sans swayed on his feet, but a smile was creeping back onto the blue-eyed skeleton's face. "Surprise," he giggled weakly, "it's a puzzle!" 


	2. Battle

The puzzle wasn't designed to be difficult, but with its creator and director seeming distracted, it was nigh on impossible to solve. The tile colors were prone to changing, the electricity had the tendency to switch currents randomly, and the knives kept falling down whenever Sans lost his concentration. Which was often- the small skeleton kept swaying on his feet dangerously, like he was about to keel over.

Papyrus would've taken the opportunity to dust the idiot, but the maze had other ideas. With several factors playing against him, Papyrus was having a bad time trying to get out of the maze. His attacks did almost nothing to the walls of the maze, and all attempts at escaping through force ended up with nearly impaling himself on something. Going up didn't work either, not when his soul was weighed down by blue magic.

Another unfortunate aspect of the maze was the timer. A large clock had crafted itself out of blue magic, suspended high in the air for clear visibility. It was steadily counting down the time Papyrus had to solve the enormous puzzle. Although Sans had never specified a penalty for what would happen if Papyrus didn't complete the maze within the time limit, it still lent a sense of urgency to the situation.

At first, Papyrus wasted a lot of time trying to fight his way out. His bone attacks were simply absorbed into the maze walls whenever he tried to push through, and physical strikes only hurt Papyrus himself. Once the timer had only five minutes left, however, Papyrus relented. He had to find a different way out of this.

Working through the maze was time-consuming. Much to Papyrus's exasperation, the rules kept changing and the maze kept shifting, keeping him from making much progress. Dead ends sprung up more often than not, sending him into fits of anger.

This universe's Sans stayed at the end of the maze, surrounded by the steadily-growing orbs. Sweat beaded the smaller skeleton's skull, his eyes flickering occasionally with exhaustion. He watched Papyrus fumble through the maze with his head lolled tiredly to one side, occasionally reaching up to swipe dust off his face. Despite his obvious weakness, he remained frustratingly out of range.

"H-hey," Sans said abruptly as Papyrus hit yet another dead end. "If y-you can answer my question, I'll give you a hint." His voice slurred a little as he spoke, reflecting his enervating strength and concentration.

"What?" Papyrus snarled.

"A h-hint. It's easy." the fool reiterated, leaning forward a little.

He eyed the blue-eyed monster, then the timer. It told him he had two minutes left to get out of this. He growled. "Go on."

"W-what do you say when someone does something nice for you?"

What. What kind of question was that. He racked his brain for answers. When someone completed a job for him, he usually told them...

"I won't dust you this time," Papyrus said flatly.

The monster stared at him, and he stared back. "Well? What's the hint?" Papyrus demanded irritably after a moment.

"T-that...that wasn't right," Sans replied, looking rather dumbstruck.

"What do you mean?!" Papyrus rumbled, already beginning to feel anger sink in.

"The answer...was thank you. You say thank you."

"Who says thank you?" Papyrus challenged disbelievingly, curling his hands into fists.

"I do!" the Sans retorted sharply, putting his hands on his hips and nearly toppling over in the process of doing it.

The taller skeleton glared at the ridiculous runt. "No one says thank you." Papyrus hissed disdainfully. There was no room for soft things like being grateful in his world. 'Thank you' implied a debt owed, and Papyrus hated nothing like he hated owing someone something.

Sans was quiet for several seconds, and Papyrus focused back on the puzzle, irritated by the steadily ticking timer. He shouldn't have stopped to indulge the idiot; it had probably been a ruse to waste his time anyway.

"I have another question." Sans broke the silence after some time, his brow-bone furrowed.

Papyrus let out a loud snort to let the other monster know what he thought about that, and Sans hesitated.

"I promise this one's not hard?" the small skeleton offered, and he jerked his head up to regard the other.

"W-what do you say when you're asking s-someone for something? Like, give me that, ----?" Sans blinked hopefully at Papyrus. Ah! An easy one!

"Now. Give me that now." Papyrus immediately responded.

Silence reigned. In the stillness of the moment, the timer kept counting down. Slowly, ever so slowly, the blue-eyed runt shook his head. "I...no. T-that's not right either." The orbs glowed brightly, and Papyrus felt his jaw clench into a snarling scowl.

"What?" Papyrus's voice was low and dangerous, and the other monster met his killer glare.

"That's not right...The answer was please. As in- give me that, please." Sans told him, round sapphire eyes examining him with some unrecognizable emotion stirring in their depths. Whatever that look was, though, he didn't like it. It sent fury tingling up his spine and put his teeth on edge, magic flaring in response to his fluctuating emotions.

Papyrus drew in a furious breath, ready to dismember the tiny skeleton, and the timer ran out.

The orbs of light that had been surrounding Sans moved faster than lightning. Vanishing from the tiny skeleton's side, they instantly ringed around Papyrus as the maze fell away. Trapped in a circle of blindingly bright light, Papyrus snarled loudly. He whipped his head around to find the runt, about to summon up his own magic.

When he turned, he found himself face-to-face with a Gasterblaster. Rational thought fled his mind at the sight of rows upon rows of teeth right before his skull. Instinctively he froze as he stared into glowing sapphire eyesockets, their pale pupils focused intensely on him.

Not just one Gasterblaster, he realized slowly.

No. Every single orb of magical energy and light...was now a Gasterblaster. Enormous skulls circled around him, eerie blue eyes locked on him in an unfriendly way. Each was fully charged and ready to fire, teeth glowing from the strength of holding its attack in.

This runt-?! How had he-!

"I w-was charging them. While you were attacking me and s-solving the puzzle." Sans answered his unspoken question with a faint smile, lifting his shoulders in a sheepish shrug. "I c-can only summon this m-many all at once if I gather my magic. It takes awhile."

The dodging. The questions. The countdown. All buying time.

Papyrus felt the faintest sense of panic begin to set in. Unlike his cowardly brother, he'd never seen much of a use for teleportation. He didn't know how to remove himself instantly from a battlefield; he'd never had to do that before. There was no way he could leap out of the way of all these Gasterblasters at once, either.

Sans hadn't taken his eyes off Papyrus. When Papyrus turned a fierce and baleful gaze on him, he dropped his smile.

"Can I ask you o-one last question?" the small skeleton asked as he lifted one hand and pointed it at Papyrus. The Gasterblasters all parted their jaws in unison, taking aim.

"Do you think anybody can be a good person, if only they try?"

Papyrus was silent for a small eternity.

Then he laughed.

Sans gaped mutely at him as he guffawed. The sheer stupidity of the runt had him howling with amusement until he could hardly breathe. Tears nearly escaped his eye sockets from pure hilarity as he clutched his ribcage. Even once he calmed somewhat, his gasping sniggers were very audible. It took forever to answer the idiotic question.

"A good person?" Papyrus managed to wheeze between laughs, his smirk wide and toothy, "Nobody can be a good person."

The skeleton's responding expression set Papyrus off again. No one could ever honestly look that shocked, that horrified. No monster had ever worn a true earnest expression or an actually kind smile. This Sans wasn't fooling anybody, least of all Papyrus.

Sans's eyes were glassy as he looked from Papyrus to the Gasterblasters and back again.

"...nobody?" he whispered.

"Nobody!" Papyrus jeered in reply, despite the deadly weapon hovering mere inches away from his skull.

"Then I feel sorry for you." Sans said softly, and his eyes lit up in a vivid cerulean.

The Gasterblasters began to vibrate visibly, their pupils vanishing in the blinding glow of their eyes and their lasers. Even the air itself seemed to rumble as the enormous cluster of weapons readied to fire, and the Sans from this world stood tall in a wreath of shadows and blue luminescence, magic coiling around him like an old friend. The small skeleton's face was unreadable as he drew back his arm, and the Gasterblasters unhinged their jaws in perfect synchronization.

Funny. The ridiculous creature that Papyrus had written off as a spineless dolt apparently had more guts than his own brother. Papyrus's brother had never had the balls to actually try and kill him, and yet here this little bandanna-wearing puzzle-lover was, ready to decimate the Captain of the Royal Guard.

Papyrus wanted to laugh again, but his breathing choked off when he tried. He closed his eyes instead.

Sans moved, signaling the attack.

The Gasterblasters fired like heralds of the next apocalypse, searing heat filling the air in a flash. They annihilated everything in their path in a single fell swoop, the air itself roiling and sizzling as the acrid scent of ozone swirled heavily through the immediate atmosphere.

Silence.

Papyrus cracked one eye open, not understanding why he was still standing in one piece.

The Gasterblasters around him had their mouths aimed upwards. Even as he watched, the enormous skull nearest to him tipped its snout back down. It turned to face him, somehow managing to look disapproving despite its lack of facial features. White pupils regarded him coolly, the skull emitting a threatening rumble to assure him that he still wasn't in charge yet. Then it rather pointedly turned its face to one side.

Papyrus followed its gaze, his eyes landing on a figure obscured by a cloud of swirling grey.

Smoke furled through the air, slowly curling upwards and fading to reveal Sans standing a few feet away. The small skeleton's fist was thrown skyward.

Sans stayed locked in his position as the Gasterblasters all closed their jaws with loud snaps, his sapphire eyes needling into Papyrus's own. The skeleton's smile hadn't returned yet, and his gaze was far from friendly as he stared at Papyrus.

Despite the long gashes across his face and the sweat still visible on the tiny skeleton's skull, Sans looked ready to keep going if he needed to. The Gasterblasters still circled around Papyrus seemed to testify to that readiness.

"....I do feel sorry for you." Sans said, his voice barely audible. Blue magic glowed in his eye sockets, little flashes of cyan sparking from the smooth bone.

Papyrus let out a snort of incredulity. The runt felt sorry for him? He'd spared Papyrus because he felt sorry for him?

"I feel sorry for you," Sans continued, a frown beginning to curl at his face, "but I don't feel sorry enough to let you stay. Not after what you did to Edge-" he paused, correcting himself, "-your brother."

The Gasterblaster beside Papyrus seemed to have a wide, smug grin on its face at the small monster's words, sliding a predatory glance Papyrus's way.

Sans shifted from foot to foot, slowly lowering his arm back down to his side.

"So...I'm going to ask you one more time. Please leave now."


	3. Defeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads-up, there's a POV switch around the middle of the chapter here

He didn't have much of a choice when surrounded by Gasterblasters. The weaponized skulls were all staring at him challengingly, daring him to refuse. In particular, the one closest to Papyrus looked very eager to sink its teeth into his bones. Papyrus glared balefully back at the blue-eyed skeleton, unwilling to back down but knowing he'd lost.

"You're a fool," Papyrus hissed at the warrior, but he didn't move to attack. He'd live to fight this skeleton another day. Sans shrugged in response. Like a secret signal, the Gasterblasters swept away from Papyrus, gathering in a cloud around their creator. They all turned to face Papyrus at once, the aquamarine glow of their eye sockets matching the color of the magic still lurking in Sans's eyes.

"Maybe," Sans admitted, shrugging again at Papyrus, "but I don't think I'm wrong. I think you need to leave, and stay far away from Edge- your brother."

"You have a pet name for the fool?" Papyrus sneered in disgust, and a Gasterblaster growled.

"It's a nickname. We can't both be Sans. So we call him Edge." Sans defended, narrowing his eyes a little.

"Why bother?" Papyrus retorted, "He never stays anywhere."

"We actually want him to stay. We must being doing something right, since he's stayed this long." Sans spat back, and that gave Papyrus pause. It was only for a heartbeat, but he struggled to properly gather his thoughts.

Regaining his train of thought, he snorted.

"How cute. You're actually fond of my useless brother." Papyrus said acidly.

"...yes. Yes I am." Sans responded without hesitation, staring back at Papyrus evenly.

Well damn.

It was hard to imagine anyone taking a liking to his spineless brother. His brother cowered too much, made too many foolish jokes, talked back too much and slacked off too often. Papyrus's brother slept like he never wanted to wake up, but always jolted awake like a frightened bird whenever anyone got within a few feet of him. He made snide comments then trembled underneath Papyrus's glare. He always ran like a coward from stronger monsters and had to be cornered before he would fight. It was irritating, and Papyrus hated everything about him.

He'd never heard anyone openly admit to liking another monster. Ever. Monsters didn't like other monsters. They tolerated them, at best. Friendship was for fools- only alliances survived in the end.

To hear someone say that they liked his brother was flooring. There was nothing to like.

Papyrus shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He turned a disdainful glance on the runt, scoffing loudly. Sans didn't hesitate to glare back, the Gasterblasters reacting to their creator's emotions by hissing in a hellish accompaniment, some flashing their teeth at Papyrus.

"You're a fool to trust my brother," Papyrus said aloud as he stepped back. The other monster didn't respond, blue eyes hardening, and Papyrus went on.

"Don't believe me? Ask him what happened to the last human that fell to the Underground." his jaw curved into a nasty smile.

Sans's glowing eyes faltered for a heartbeat, hesitating. The Gasterblasters stilled, their gazes all centered on him.

With a captive audience, Papyrus smirked.

"Let's just say I'm not the one with red blood on my hands." No, his own hands were mainly coated in monster dust. But human blood? That was all his brother's work. His brother might have never admitted it, but Papyrus knew. No one else had been around to kill that human. Sans acted guilty, too. Papyrus had once caught Sans scrubbing the crimson off his bones long after the red was gone. Sans had been rubbing away layers of his own bone; he just kept scrubbing.

Even after his brother had gotten over it, he was different. Killing a human had done something to his brother's personality- made him louder yet more secretive, fiercer but faster to flee. It made him more obnoxious.

"You think my brother is worth protecting?" Papyrus laughed, loving the sudden uncertainty on the blue-eyed skeleton's face. "You think he's somebody good? Don't lie to yourself. You're protecting him, but he wouldn't do the same."

"He'll never do anything for you, runt. Nothing except turn you into dust when you least expect it."

Papyrus grinned at the other Sans's uncertain expression. He turned on his heel, preparing his magic.

There. Let the idiot simmer over that idea. He'd guarantee that his brother would be chased out of this universe in less than a week.

As he walked away, he listened in satisfaction to the stunned silence. Seems he'd finally gotten through to the ridiculous warrior Sans of this world.

Just before his magic was ready to leap universes, the quiet was broken.

"...that doesn't make him not worth protecting." Sans finally dared say, voice subdued.

Papyrus stopped, not turning around.

"What makes you think he's worth protecting, runt?"

"Everyone is worth protecting." Sans replied simply.

Unbelievable.

Papyrus didn't look back as his magic activated.

Leaping universes sent his skull spinning, but his feet anchoring on familiar ground was a huge relief. Centering himself on this well-known world, Papyrus waited for the dizziness to pass. Then he glanced around. He was standing in Snowdin still, but a darker and colder town than the one he'd just been in. He tilted his head back and inhaled deeply, feeling icy air rake his bones. A grin tugged at his mouth as he focused on the path ahead.

He had an idea.

So he hadn't caught his brother yet. No matter. He would.

Papyrus started down the path, a mission in mind.

 

* * *

 

 

Sans sighed in relief as Edge's brother vanished mid-step, the familiar tingle of a soul leaping out of this universe running down his spine. Letting out a shaky breath, he could hardly believe that'd worked. His shoulders slumped as he swayed on his feet, casting an impressed eye on his Gasterblasters. There were at least five more than he could usually summon, and wow could he feel the drain on his energy. In fact, he was kinda impressed that he was still conscious.

Just as he thought that, his legs decided to give out. His Gasterblasters dissolved as his concentration slipped, and he closed his eyes as he fell. Sleep actually sounded great right now.

A bony snout caught him gently, nosing between him and the cold ground before he could hit it. He cracked open one eye tiredly, and was met by concerned white pupils staring back. He was sprawled across the snout of one remaining Gasterblaster; a Gasterblaster made recognizable by its unique scar running down from its left eye.

"Thanksshh Sodiiiium..." he muttered weakly to the skull. Papyrus had long named this particular one Sodium, since it 'always looked angry'. Sodium had a tendency to stick around even when the others didn't, and liked to growl at everybody for everything.

Sodium rumbled back at Sans, sounding almost scolding. "I know....shhorry..." he wheezed, focusing on pulling himself together. His vision was fading in and out, colors blurring together. He needed to stand. He had places to be. Bracing his hands against Sodium's solid skull, Sans struggled to stand on his own.

His legs wobbled dangerously and his vision swam, spots of black dancing in his eyes. Sodium let out a snarl as he tried to stand, moving back underneath him before he could topple over. Sans leaned heavily on the Gasterblaster's snout for a moment, panting. He sucked in deep breaths, waiting until his vision was straight and he could move without vertigo.

"Okay...let-let's try thissh a-again..." he huffed.

He tried to push himself upright, to get his balance, and instead he blacked out.

Sodium was glaring at him when he came back around. He was lying on the ground now, snow soaking through his clothes and chilling his bones. "S-Sorry..." Sans repeated to the Gasterblaster, earning an exasperated look. After lying still for a moment, he carefully eased himself upright. Blinking the dots out of his vision, he waited for his head to stop swimming. Managing to get a good look around himself, he noticed his surroundings had changed.

Sans wasn't in the same place he had blacked out in- he was maybe twenty feet outside of Snowdin, just out of sight. Behind him, there was a long trail of crushed snow where Sodium had dragged his unconscious form. Clearly he'd worried the weapon enough to make it try and take him somewhere safe. He let out a huff of surprise and glanced back at the Gasterblaster. "S-sorry boy...didn't m-mean to scare ya."

Baring its teeth at him a bit, Sodium jerked its snout towards Snowdin. "I know..I need t-to go h-home..." Sans agreed tiredly, reaching up to wipe the wet snow off the back of his skull. Dust came away with the water, and he stared at his hands in shock. "Am...am I still bleeding?" he hadn't thought that Edge's brother had gashed his face that deeply, but maybe he'd been too caught up in the moment to feel the pain.

Running his hands back over his face, Sans traced the gashes with a small frown. They were deep after all, and highly sensitive to the touch. Dust was still trickling steadily out of the deepest ones; those might scar if he didn't get them healed soon. He didn't have any energy to spare, though.

Magical exhaustion was setting in quickly, his body trying to shut down to preserve his remaining energy. His breathing was uneven and shallow, and he desperately needed a healing item immediately. Snowdin, though...

His brother was at his sentry post by the Ruins, but Edge wasn't. Edge was home.

Edge would panic if Sans came home looking like this. He'd be terrified all over again, right after Sans had finally managed to convince him that this universe was safe. Edge would stop sleeping again. Probably quit eating too. He'd never relax here again, and that couldn't happen.

Sans didn't want Edge to be hurt all over again because Sans was reckless and used too much energy.

"Sodium...where else c-can we go?" he asked the Gasterblaster, hoping the scarred weapon could think more clearly than he could. Sodium stared back at him incredulously, jerking its snout at Snowdin again. "I know...but I can't g-go home. W-where else c-can I..?" he pleaded. Sodium regarded him silently for several moments, its pupils darting over his face.

It huffed, and then tipped its snout in a different direction. He squinted, his mind blearily trying to remember what was in that direction. Sodium, sensing his confusion, puffed out a breath of laserlike flames, mimicking a swirling motion that looked vaguely familiar. "G-Grillby's? The f-fire dude who chargessh s-so much?" his words were rapidly becoming more slurred. It was true that he didn't know Grillby very well, so Edge was unlikely to hear about this if he went there, but Grillby always had terrifyingly high prices and was slightly unstable. Also, Grillby's was...in the Hotlands. That wasn't nearby. He didn't honestly know if he could make it there.

Sodium stared at him evenly, one brow seeming to arch imperiously, and Sans admitted defeat. Alphys would yell for days if he showed up like this, Undyne would just call Alphys, Papyrus would keep him locked in the house, and Edge wasn't an option. Grillby probably was the best option.

"A-Alright. Let'ssh go." he said, and with Sodium to lean on, he could stand. He really wished he'd brought tacos along with him today- but when he'd felt the tug of an anomaly on his soul, he hadn't had time to grab one. He'd rushed to meet Edge's brother before the tall skeleton ran into anyone else, and his speed had won him that victory but left him exhausted and without healing items in the aftermath.

Sodium led him through the snow patiently, letting him put his full body weight against the weapon as he struggled to walk.

About three steps in, Sans realized this wasn't going to work. There was no way he was going to be able to limp his way all the way through to the Hotlands.

He did, however, have just enough energy keeping him conscious to teleport. It was a trade-off, certainly...but one he was willing to take. If he made it to Grillby's and fainted, he was sure the fire monster wouldn't kill him. Grillby probably didn't know Papyrus, so the other monster was unlikely to call his brother.

"Y-you're not g-gonna like thissh," he warned Sodium as he gathered up the remnants of his strength. His eyes lit with blue magic, and Sodium's eyes widened. The Gasterblaster let out a loud growl of warning, moving in close, and Sans teleported.

The world popped back into place inside a warm room smelling strongly of burgers and grease. Sans managed to wobble on his feet for all of a second, taking in the empty restaurant with a vague sense of relief and horror. Sodium had dissolved away, probably sensing that Sans had no energy to spare, and therefore there was nothing to keep Sans from crashing to the floor this time.

He hit the ground hard, pain lancing through his skull. He'd overdone it, absolutely, and the agony inside his cranium was crippling payback. Blackness swept his vision, rainbow dots dancing in his eyes as he let out a pathetic groan. Everything hurt, and it was a struggle to stay awake.

Sans had thought that nobody was here, but when warm hands turned him over, he wasn't exactly disappointed. Grillby stared down at him with a confused and anxious air, his swirled glasses shining, and Sans forced a smile. "I'll t-take today'ss speshial.." he managed to slur, and darkness took him.


	4. Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for sticking with me! This chapter starts with a flashback, if you can't tell :)

Today was going to be a good day, he just knew it.

Sans rolled out of bed with a smile, already planning today's schedule. If he had his way, Papyrus would be on his way to work by ten o'clock, and he would have enough time to go talk to Undyne about his brother's upcoming birthday after his patrol.

In the meantime, he'd busy himself with actually getting his brother awake and out of the house. That meant he needed a breakfast to tempt his brother to consciousness, which meant it couldn't be breakfast tacos. Contrary to what Papyrus always claimed, Sans knew his brother wasn't very fond of tacos. 

So. Waffles it was. He practically skipped to the kitchen, turning on the stove and yanking out the ingredients roughly in his excitement. Today, he figured, was a perfect day to pull out the honey he'd been squirreling away from Papyrus's grabby hands. Papyrus would love some honey- especially with a sugary breakfast food like waffles.

Sliding open a compartment hidden behind the main cabinet, Sans's eyes lit up as he found an entire bag of chocolate chips and three bottles of honey, all untouched. Pulling down two bottles of honey (he always kept at least one extra for his brother's bad days) and the chocolate, he grinned eagerly. His brother would be so pleased, he just knew it.

Waffle batter was easy to make, and easier yet to improve with some chocolate chips. While the waffle was steaming in its iron, Sans headed for the front door to grab the mail. Scoffing quietly at Papyrus's overflowing mailbox (of complaints from Muffet about his tab), Sans scooped up the newspaper. He didn't check his own mailbox- he didn't need to.

Unfurling the newspaper, he paused mid-step at the headline. **New Royal Guard Appointed** , it read in bold, proud letters. Lesser Dog was featured prominently on the front page, tongue hanging out cheerily. The dog's stats were displayed, too: a proud 60 HP. Sans couldn't help the envious gaze he gave the headline; he knew Alphys had his best interests at heart, but it still stung to be passed over every time. 

Sans sighed as he walked back into the kitchen, a little of the spring taken out of his step. His HP was low, sure, but he'd shown Alphys that he was capable. He's survived this long, hasn't he? All the training, all the sudden-death courses...he hasn't even gotten a scratch yet. He simmered quietly over his discontent for a minute as he irritably fished the first waffle from the iron and poured on some new batter. It just didn't feel fair.

Life wasn't fair, though. It wasn't fair to Papyrus if Sans went through all the trouble of making waffles and then couldn't even give them to him with a smile. Not because of a crummy newspaper and a job he wanted but could never have. Sans was not going to be that selfish.

With that thought in mind, Sans forced his smile back, clearing his mind of the Royal Guard. Papyrus. Focus on Papyrus.

Retrieving the second waffle from the iron, Sans got the third ready to go and headed down the hallway to fetch his brother.

He knocked on his brother's door twice before pushing it open. As expected, Papyrus was hardly more than a big lump of blankets, snoring softly. Sans felt a small smile curling up across his face as he quietly stepped into the room. Creeping up silently on the bed, he leaned over the mass of blankets, eyeballing it mischievously. It wasn't hard to identify where his brother's skull was...or his ribs. Sans quietly took aim, fingers twitching with anticipation.

Three.....Two.....One! He sprang on his brother with a loud battle cry, tackling the sheets with his full weight. Papyrus jerked awake the moment he hit the blankets, shooting upright like a bolt. "Good morning brother!" Sans shouted cheerily, enjoying the way Papyrus flailed and swore as he yanked the blankets off his head.  "Bro," Papyrus grumbled, managing to tug the sheet away from his face. "I made breakfast!" Sans explained as his brother gave him a sleepy halfhearted glare. "You woke me up for breakfast tacos?" Papyrus asked, arching one brow-bone.

Sans grinned. "Not this time," he said devilishly, "this time it's waffles...." he paused, watching his brother intently for a reaction, "...with fresh honey."

Papyrus's head snapped up in an instant, eyes brightening instantly. "Honey?" he perked up at the very word, and Sans couldn't help his widening grin. "Yep! The waffles are chocolate chip, too!" he giggled, and that was all it took for his brother to roll out of bed ready to go. 

Scooping up his smaller brother, Papyrus ignored Sans's shouts of protest as he shuffled down the hallway with a big lazy grin on his face. "Brother!" Sans managed to yelp playfully, swatting at his brother's face. Papyrus chuckled quietly as they reached the kitchen, acquiescing to his brother's demands with a smile. As soon as Sans's feet were back on the ground, he darted to get the chocolate chips before his brother could, moving them out of range. "Save them for another day!" Sans scolded halfheartedly, knowing better than to try and hide the confection again now that Papyrus had seen it. "I will," Papyrus said, although the smile lurking in his eyes said otherwise. 

Giving up, Sans simply grabbed two plates for the both of them and settled down to eat. Papyrus, predictably, drenched his plate in honey and started eating with a spoon. As Sans dug into his own stack of waffles (with actual syrup, thank you very much), Papyrus's gaze drifted over the kitchen, finally settling on the open newspaper. He paused in his eating. 

"Sans?" he said casually.

"Yeah?" Sans asked, swallowing a bite of waffle.

"Are you alright?" 

Sans paused in eating. He looked up in confusion, following Papyrus's stare. When his eyes landed on the headline, he understood. 

"Oh. I'm..I'm fine. I get it." Sans replied, trying to really mean it. 

"It's not you." Papyrus told him.

"I know." It was his health that kept him from his dream job. Knowing that didn't help. 

Papyrus chewed silently, his gaze never leaving Sans's face. Sans forced a grin, and changed topics.

The conversation eventually lightened up, breakfast becoming enjoyable as Sans and Papyrus exchanged jokes and puns over the waffles, content to stay in the warm kitchen. Yet all good things had to come to an end eventually- the waffles were soon gone, the honey was completely drained, and Sans had to go out on patrol. He donned his battle armor, grabbing some tacos to drop off at Papyrus's station for lunch. 

"Don't you dare forget, you're on sentry duty at noon!" he warned Papyrus, and got a laugh from his older brother. "Yeah, yeah. I'll go," Papyrus promised, waving as Sans walked out the front door. 

Once he was outside of town, Sans let a grin spread across his face. Today was a good day. 

His patrols usually ran on the outskirts of the town limits, where the path was questionable and long faded. Today was no different; he trotted along his typical route with an easy gait, trying to keep his mind off this morning's paper. He loved patrol duty- it was calm, and soothing. He always had a chance to organize his thoughts and feel like he was doing something important at the same time. The forest around town was quiet today, per usual. 

At least, it was quiet until he got close to the Ruins.

Then it was _silent._

 _Silent_ wasn't good. 

He stopped in his tracks, listening intently. Something was wrong. He couldn't hear anything except his own breathing, but he knew he wasn't alone anymore. Sans held his tense position for several moments, hardly daring to move. Casting out a small dose of magic, he tried to feel where the disturbance was. Had someone entered this timeline while he was asleep...? It had happened before; he'd been surprised by a lazy, blue-jacket-wearing version of himself once.

Then he heard the noise.

It was quiet, muffled. Like somebody trying to shush themselves and failing.  

Sans tilted his head to one side, trying to hear better. He caught the distinctive sound of a whimper, and then a rustling noise, directly to his right.

He slowly turned his body to face the direction of the sound, straining to listen. Inch by inch, he crept towards the noise. His footsteps sank into the snow, but if he moved carefully enough he could keep it from crunching loudly. Sans made his way silently over towards the noise, focusing on the bushes obstructing his few. Once he was close enough, he slid his fingers around a branch and pulled gently, trying to get a glimpse of whoever it was.

There was a skeleton huddled in the bushes, pressed up against the trunk of a tree. Even from where he was, Sans could hear the rapid, shallow breaths that the other was taking. Whoever it was, was curled tightly into a huge black and red jacket with a fur lining, crying into the coat. 

"H-hello?" Sans tried, hoping not to scare the other too badly. Red eyes jolted upwards in alarm, widening immediately. Sans gasped as the other skeleton went scrambling backwards, practically falling over himself in an attempt to get away. Instinctively Sans lurched forward, his brow-bone lowering in anxiety as he quickly called, "Wait! Stop, I'm not going to hurt you!" 

The other skeleton was a Sans too, he realized as the monster fell into full view. There were a few key differences though, like the red eyes versus his own blue, the sharp teeth versus his own straight teeth, and _the fact that the other Sans was coated in his own dust_. The grey powder was bleeding from the other like he was about to turn into a little cloud right there. Gashes ran over the other's skull, deep gouges crisscrossing his rib cage and scratches marring his hands became visible when he flinched, covering himself protectively.

The absolute worst part, though, was the other skeleton's left leg. It was mangled beyond recognition, bones fragmented and splintered into a sickening shape. 

"Oh my stars..." Sans whispered in horror, " _what happened to you_?" 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sans woke to the smell of french fries and the sound of someone humming quietly. He stared up at the wooden ceiling blankly for a minute, not comprehending whatever just happened. His head was pounding- it felt like something lancing through his brain, again and again with stabbing pains. He squeezed his eyes shut against the agony, shifting unhappily and making a soft sound despite himself. 

The humming paused, and footsteps made their way over to Sans. He flinched at a warm touch, forcing one eye open in confusion. His vision swam, but he could still make out Grillby's swirled glasses gleaming down at him. The fire monster pulled his hand away from Sans's forehead, making a gesture. "Mmm'sorry...what?" Sans managed to ask, although his head throbbed. 

Grillby repeated the gesture, and this time Sans could focus enough to understand. "Oh...how do I feel?" he checked, rubbing his skull with one hand in an attempt to alleviate the pain. The bartender nodded, and he hesitated. "My head hurts, but I'm alright." he admitted after a moment. 

The fire monster tilted his head to one side, then made a gesture for Sans to stay put. The skeleton watched in confusion as the fire man walked out of the room (Sans hadn't realized Grillby had guest bedrooms). He returned just a moment later, carrying a plate of food. Sans sat up slowly, trying not to make a face at his pain as Grillby set the plate before him.

"Thank you, but...I didn't bring any money." Sans said politely, not wanting to steal from the other monster. The food looked and smelled delicious, but his conscience wouldn't let him just take this. Grillby paused, then shook his head. He began gesturing rapidly, and Sans struggled to keep up. "It's...fine...I trade...stories?...for meals?" He questioned, wondering if he'd gotten it wrong.

Grillby paused, then made another set of gestures, shrugging and nodding. _Yes. It's a special for today only_. 

"Oh. Thank you." Sans blinked in surprise. "I-uh...well, it's a long story..." he wasn't sure how to begin, but he'd do his best.

Grillby shook his head vehemently, pointing to the food. _Eat first. Tell me later_.

The skeleton smiled at the other gratefully, taking small bites of the food. It melted in his mouth, and as he ate his head cleared. Grillby stood nearby, apparently content to watch Sans enjoy his food and occasionally check that everything was delicious; which it was. He tried not to scarf the food down, but it was absolutely fantastic. It was worth the exorbitant price that it usually cost- he almost felt like he was stealing still, since he was only trading a sad tapestry of words for such a magnificent meal. 

After he finished, Sans smiled at Grillby, feeling much better already. "Thank you," he said genuinely, lighter and happier than he was before. The fire monster inclined his head, holding out his hands to take the plate. As the bartender and restaurant owner swept away to put the dish away, Sans collected his thoughts. What _was_ he going to tell Grillby? That another version of his brother from an alternate universe had come here and tried to kill him? That there was a doppelganger of himself nicknamed Edge, living in his house now? 

When Grillby returned and sat down patiently on the other end of the bed, Sans had made up his mind. "Papyrus and I have cousins. Two, to be exact." he began to explain, his brow furrowing. "They've been living out of town...but lately, the older cousin showed up at our house. He, uh, needed a place to stay. His brother was having an episode. So we let him stay." He hesitated, hoping this didn't sound too strange.

Grillby waited patiently. Sans let out a small huff of breath. He was going to tell a version of the truth, because he didn't want to give anybody the impression that Edge's brother wouldn't kill someone. "Well...earlier, I went out on patrol. And I ran into my other cousin. He...was having an episode, and we fought." gosh, he didn't like admitting that. Grillby's flames grew brighter and higher at his words, and Sans rubbed his arm self-consciously. "He was going to hurt somebody if he reached Snowdin," Sans said slowly, "So I kept him away. I didn't go home afterwards because I didn't want to tell the cousin staying with us. He'd panic." 

The fire monster nodded in understanding, and Sans exhaled. "So, I came here. I'm sorry. This was just the first place I could think of where nobody knew me very well." he scratched his arm nervously.

After a pause, Grillby tipped his head. _Alright. Thank you for telling me_. It looked like the fire monster wanted to say more, but he stopped himself. _You're welcome here anytime, Sans_. 

"Thank you," Sans repeated, wishing he could do more. 

He needed to go home. Papyrus was probably worried out of his mind by now. Edge too. 

Apologetically he told Grillby that he needed to go home. The other agreed, mentioning that his family was probably (definitely) worried, and Sans hurried to wash off any extra dust on himself. The scratches on his face weren't very visible, so he decided to play them off as messing around with the dogs if anyone asked. Saying goodbye to Grillby and promising to stop by another time (with cash), Sans started home.

Snowdin was peaceful, thankfully. Several monsters greeted him as he walked home, commenting on how they hadn't seen him on patrol yesterday. He giggled nervously to all of them, simply opting to say he'd stayed over at a friend's for the night. 

Home had never looked so intimidating. He hoped that he could keep up his story. 

His hand lingered over the front door. Pausing, he took a deep breath. He could do this. He'd faced down Edge's terrifying brother- he could handle his own brother's all-knowing stare and Edge's worried questions. 

No use putting it off. He pushed open the door, calling "I'm home!" just as cheerily as ever. 

There was a loud thump from the living room, and footsteps pounded down the hallway. A half-second later, a shadow came flying at him, skidding to a stop just in time. "Ditto!" Edge breathed, his wide red eyes examining Sans desperately. "Are you- is everything-" words failed him, but his hands hovered an inch away from Sans's arm, like he wanted to touch him but didn't dare to.  

The other skeleton didn't look like he'd slept much by the dark circles underneath his eyes, but at least he didn't look like he'd been awake the entire time. The scars that marked Edge's bones were slowly fading, bit by bit.

"I'm alright, Edge! I just stopped by the Hotlands for the night." Sans reassured the other. He felt bad for lying, but at least it was partially true. He smiled widely at the other, to help him calm down. 

Edge relaxed, the tense lines of his face disappearing slowly as Sans soothed him. "Alright...I just...ya know what I mean, Ditto." he muttered, plucking at his own jacket and dropping his gaze. 

"I'm fine," Sans promised gently.

Papyrus appeared in the hallway, hands in his hoodie. "Hey bro," he greeted, eyes skimming over Sans. "Where'd you go?" 

"Hotlands. I thought I was following a lead but I was wrong." Sans lied sheepishly, scratching his arm. 

His older brother arched a brow and silently gestured at Sans's face. Of course Papyrus would notice.

"I'm not very careful," Sans giggled, feeling lower than the lowest monster on earth. 

Papyrus didn't believe him, obviously, but he knew better than to say something with Edge there.

"I didn't get a shower where I was staying," Sans began, attempting to excuse himself, and Papyrus nodded, eyes narrowing.

"Hotel didn't have any?" he asked, and Sans cringed a little. He'd been caught again by his brother.

"I- didn't want to take a shower without my soap. Theirs smelled weird." God was he bad at lying. 

"So, I'm gonna wash up." Sans said lamely. 

Edge nodded, apparently taking Sans at face value. "Alright, Ditto. I-ah." he paused, unable to find words. Instead he offered Sans a slow half-smile.

Sans beamed at Edge. Sometimes saying nothing spoke the loudest of all. Edge caught his smile and flushed a tiny bit, his own fanged teeth parting in a hesitant grin. 

"Alright. Hey Edge, can you check the television for me? Check and see how NTT is planning on scheduling for the next week." Papyrus said casually, his eyes never leaving Sans's face. Pacified knowing that Sans was okay, Edge nodded and retreated to the living room, throwing a halfhearted "Do it yourself." to Papyrus over his shoulder. 

"I'm gonna go shower," Sans repeated, much more firmly this time, and pushed past his brother. 

When Sans trotted down the hall to the bathroom, he was aware of footsteps behind him. 

He opened the door and walked in. Papyrus slid in after him, shutting the door definitively.

"Alright, bro." Papyrus started calmly, although his eyes held a spark of dangerous magic in them, "What really happened?"

**Author's Note:**

> (btw I usually update on weekends but maybe I'll get some out sooner)


End file.
